State Union Ratifies Contract Sought by Cuomo

By

Jacob Gershman

Aug. 16, 2011 12:24 a.m. ET

Members of New York's largest union representing state employees ratified a five-year contract on Monday, avoiding mass layoffs by agreeing to a three-year base-salary freeze, increased health-care contributions and several days of furlough.

Under the terms, members of the Civil Service Employees Association, which represents about 66,000 employees, will get back-to-back 2% pay raises, in addition to the "step" increases, in...